Ingram to Distribute Amazon Ebooks via Competing Retailers

By Jeff Gamet

Aug 30th, 2012 2:23 PM EDT

Ingram has struck a deal with Amazon.com to distribute ebooks from the online retailer’s own New York-based book publishing imprint through other retailers such as Barnes & Noble, and even Apple’s iBookstore. Titles from Amazon’s West coast imprint, however, aren’t part of the deal.

Amazon ebooks get a new distribution channel

Amazon New York will be releasing its first books this fall with titles such as “My Mother Was Nuts” from Penny Marshall, “The 4-Hour Chef” from Timothy Ferriss, and “Why Have Kids?” by Jessica Valenti.

While titles from Amazon.com’s own publishing arm may be available, that doesn’t mean other retailers will necessarily cary them. Barnes & Noble previously said it wouldn’t carry Amazon’s books in its stores because it was blocked from selling ebooks. With Ingram distributing Amazon’s ebooks now, however, that could change.

What isn’t included with the deal are self-published titles through Amazon’s CreateSpace service, which also means services like Smashwords don’t have to worry about Amazon leapfrogging beyond their distribution network.

With the Ingram deal still so fresh, many book retailers are likely still deciding whether or not they want to carry Amazon.com’s titles. Considering that Amazon New York is representing some well known authors, it’s probably only a matter of time before other book resellers line up — and that’s good news for authors looking for wider distribution and better visibility.